Joao Havelange, a president of international soccer’s governing body for 24 years, stepped down from the Olympics after serving there for nearly a half century.

Marcelo Sayao/European Pressphoto Agency

A file photo showing former FIFA President Brazilian Joao Havelange speaking during a tribute he received at the Soccerex Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nov. 22, 2010.

The Associated Press reported the resignation Sunday, and it was confirmed on Monday to the AP by the International Olympic Committee and Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA. There are more reports here, here and here.

Havelange, a 95-year-old Brazilian former Olympic swimmer and water polo player, was about to face a ruling from the IOC’s executive board on whether or not he took bribes as president of FIFA.

He is now honorary president of FIFA, having served as the body’s leader until 1998, when Joseph “Sepp” Blatter succeeded him. Blatter won his fourth term in June.

The allegations against Havelange stem from payments made by a now-defunct company, ISL, to secure marketing deals for FIFA. That company collapsed in 2001 and a later court ruling in Switzerland found that the payments weren’t bribes. Nevertheless, BBC Panorama in 2010 revived claims of bribery and alleged that Havelange was a recipient. FIFA has rejected the BBC’s claims, and Havelange has denied the allegations.

The case has returned to the spotlight after Blatter announced a reform road map (that has since proven controversial) for FIFA that included the release of the ISL files to an independent body. That body, Blatter said in October, would report back its findings on what the files contain.

Ricardo Teixeira, Havelange’s former son-in-law who is also heading Brazil’s 2014 World Cup organizing committee, was also named by the Panorama program as having received payments.

He is not an IOC member, but Brazilian authorities are seeking the files as they pursue a money-laundering probe of Teixeira tied to the alleged payments. Teixeira has also denied wrongdoing.

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